Costa Rica Undiscovered Treasure

Liberia, Costa Rica is less than four hours' flight away from Atlanta, Georgia, and Las Catalinas, a new beach town, is only about an hour away. 

Entrepreneur Charles Brewer, who owns one of the biggest properties in the car-free town Las Catalinas, realized his idea of a new urbanism, planned community, or alternative to the mega-resorts that have taken over a portion of the world's coastline. 

Building on Las Catalinas started in 2009, but the idea has been there since 2005. It's modeled after Mediterranean seaside towns with colorful houses and shops from Antigua, Guatemala, and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and it's supposed to be a spot where parents can drink cocktails while their kids run around and play in the sand. 

There are a few restaurants that serve three squares a day, beautiful architecture, and convenient access to ocean sports like snorkeling and boogie boarding. The town is made up of walking cobblestone lanes and plaza fountains that encourage youngsters to play. According to Renae Johnson, director of sales and marketing at Las Catalinas, the enclave would be characterized by architects as a "short urban transect, [one that] indeed enriches life." 

Gazeout across Las Catalinas's ocean from the PVR 

Las Catalinas is more than just a beach vacation; it's encircled by a tropical dry forest that spans about a thousand acres. Since it is mostly not interested in becoming a successful tourist destination and would rather exist as a paradise for people to return to again and again, it feels ideally suited with many tourists' new goals. Another reasonable choice is to purchase a villa and remain there indefinitely. 

Although the neighboring towns provide a plethora of activities, Las Catalinas is the type of destination that can satisfy guests for the entirety of their stay. According to Johnson, getting into the groove is simple here; in fact, they coined the term "downshifting" to describe it. 

Las Catalinas isn't your run-of-the-the-mill beach resort; nevertheless, it does have a few commonalities with the conventional model: From the tapas-style cuisine at Pascual to the broadly interpreted (and fairly simple) Mediterranean fare at Ponciana, there is a wide range of offers at these independently owned and operated restaurants. An excellent spa offers the standard fare of beach accessories and exercise gear, and a gourmet food store gives you the option to whip up a quick lunch on occasion or grab some pre-made sandwiches to enjoy at the beach. 

While some may be relieved to not have sun loungers, umbrellas, or drink service on the beach at Las Catalinas, this is one way in which the resort differs from mega-resorts. At the Beach Club, you'll find all the usual suspects for a beach holiday. It features an adults-only pool with a bar right next to it, as well as an all-ages pool that looks out over the water below. The availability of the club depends on the type of villa you are staying in, however you can enjoy La Taqueria's tacos and margaritas on your chaise lounge or at a table. 

Since the beach is open to the public and many villas have little plunge pools, the category might not be that important. The Santarena Hotel also debuted right before the pandemic hit; it features a rooftop pool and a cafe with espresso drinks, cans of kombucha, and buttery banana bread, among other things. 

Although the town still has its manmade roots, there is a natural environment full with wildlife just beyond the cobblestones and fountains. Along the 42 kilometers of bike lanes and hiking paths you can see howler monkey families eating from the trees above, huge iguanas running over the grounds and seemingly disappearing into thin air, and, if you're fortunate, anteaters skulking in the faraway underbrush. Another possibility is to see a puma tearing over the landscape at top speed. The view improves as one ascends the trails, but even without these charming animal encounters, the scenery is breathtaking. 

Las Catalinas, like other beach communities, has an easygoing attitude and is very health-conscious. You can rent bikes at Pura Vida Ride and join a variety of courses at the nearby Core by Chak Fitness center, including power yoga and kickboxing. 

Even though you can reach anything in town in a matter of minutes, a great spot to get cold-pressed juices (I highly recommend the Green Machine) is Pots & Bowls, which is conveniently located near everything. 

Extra restaurants, a late-night bar, extra retail space, and a plaza are all on the agenda for Las Catalinas, which is already severely lacking in nightlife. One of the town's unwavering promises is that this stretch of Costa Rican shore would continue to be car-free, even though it will no longer be a hidden gem. 

Johnson argues that communities can regain their pre-car sociability, beauty, and safety by removing vehicles from the equation and reconstructing them in a manner similar to how they were before their introduction. In many cases, this means that adults also have more freedom for their children.